Google will not load

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Straycat

16 posts

Geek

#91407 12-Oct-2011 22:42

Hi there,

I have a strange problem. Up unrtil sunday everything was fine. Now, IO cannot load Google from my browser. I have tried Telecom (my provider) who talked me through changing settings, changing restricted sites etc, but it still will not load.
I have run anti-virus software (AVG), Malwarebytes, Spybot, and TuneUp Utilities. Still no good. Every other website known to man loads up, but not Google, Google Images or GoogleScholar.

I am running Windows XP, my browser is Firefox (but it will not open on IE either)...

Can anyone help???

Thank you

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#532578 12-Oct-2011 22:52

can you go to C:/Windows/System32/etc/drivers and open the hosts file with notepad and copy and paste here what it typed in that file.

Do whatever you want to do man.

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Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

tigercorp

667 posts

Ultimate Geek

#532579 12-Oct-2011 22:55

billgates: can you go to C:/Windows/System32/etc/drivers and open the hosts file with notepad and copy and paste here what it typed in that file.

drivers and etc typo.

Straycat -> C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

Straycat

16 posts

Geek

#532641 13-Oct-2011 07:28

The hosts file isn't just called :"Hosts", its called :- "hosts.20071024-202851.backup", and there is another file in there called lmhosts.sam.

Here is what is in the hosts.200 etc file:-

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
#      102.54.94.97     rhino.acme.com          # source server
#       38.25.63.10     x.acme.com              # x client host

127.0.0.1       localhost

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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#532644 13-Oct-2011 07:37

The hosts files is called just "hosts", with no extension. There should be a "hosts" file in that folder.

My technology disclosure

tigercorp

667 posts

Ultimate Geek

#532646 13-Oct-2011 07:46

Straycat: The hosts file isn't just called :"Hosts", its called :- "hosts.20071024-202851.backup", and there is another file in there called lmhosts.sam.

If you can't see "hosts" then open the Windows Explorer Tools menu - Folder Options - View tab - and tick the box that says "Show hidden files, folders..." and untick the box that says "Hide protected operating system files".

If you can now see hosts and it contains a bunch of entries for google, then you've picked up some malware. Change the attributes of the "hosts" file to view it normally, and check the permissions. Try updating then running Malwarebytes in Safe Mode.

Straycat

16 posts

Geek

#532797 13-Oct-2011 12:23

I've done the above (about viewing the "etc" folder, and there is only the following files:-

hosts.200710324-202851.backup (BACKUP File) 1 kb
lmhosts.sam (8 bit unsigned file) 4 kb
networks (File) 1 kb
protocol (File) 1 kb
services (File) 7 kb
hosts_infected_old (System file) 2 kb

... and GOOGLE still doesn't load

tigercorp

667 posts

Ultimate Geek

#532914 13-Oct-2011 15:40

See if you can rename "hosts.200710324-202851.backup" to just "hosts". Note that there's no file extension.

Also, can you ping google.com from the command prompt and let use know what IP address it resolves to? For example, my ping looks like:C:\>ping google.com

Pinging google.com [74.125.237.84] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 74.125.237.84: bytes=32 time=58ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.237.84: bytes=32 time=58ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.237.84: bytes=32 time=58ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.237.84: bytes=32 time=60ms TTL=55

In my case google.com resolves to 74.125.237.84, what does your one say?

[edit - formatting]

Straycat

16 posts

Geek

#532939 13-Oct-2011 16:07

Ok, so I tried piniging and it says

Request Timed Out"

I can rename the hosts file so that it is just "host" but that hasn't cured it.

Strange, ay?

tigercorp

667 posts

Ultimate Geek

#533032 13-Oct-2011 18:27

Rename to the file to hosts, instead of host.

What IP address did you get when you pinged google.com?

Straycat

16 posts

Geek

#533044 13-Oct-2011 18:42

Sorry, I meant toi say "hosts"....

The IP address when i ping is:-

64.125.87.101

l43a2

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#533049 13-Oct-2011 18:47

that ip doesnt work...., a quick googling of that ip shows it mite related to some kind of malware... but you've mentioned that you scanned for malware already

tigercorp

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Ultimate Geek

#533056 13-Oct-2011 19:19

Straycat: I've done the above (about viewing the "etc" folder, and there is only the following files:-

hosts.200710324-202851.backup (BACKUP File) 1 kb
lmhosts.sam (8 bit unsigned file) 4 kb
networks (File) 1 kb
protocol (File) 1 kb
services (File) 7 kb
hosts_infected_old (System file) 2 kb

Sorry to belabour the point, but after you've renamed the file to hosts, can you confirm that the etc folder now only contains:

hosts (File) 1 kb
lmhosts.sam (8 bit unsigned file) 4 kb
networks (File) 1 kb
protocol (File) 1 kb
services (File) 7 kb
hosts_infected_old (System file) 2 kb

If it does, who is your ISP? Need to know to get the dns settings for them, for use with nslookup...

Straycat

16 posts

Geek

#533063 13-Oct-2011 19:44

Yep, that's correct... the etc file has just those. My ISP is Xtra (Telecom NZ)

tigercorp

667 posts

Ultimate Geek

#533069 13-Oct-2011 19:55

Actually, can you first open a command prompt and flush the dns cache with ipconfig /flushdns and then ping google.com and see if what IP address it returns?

Straycat

16 posts

Geek

#533140 13-Oct-2011 22:58

Ok, done that...

Now, it says "Request Timed Out" 3 times, but has underneath:-

Ping statistics for 64.125.87.101:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

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